The Cranbury Papermaker by Maureen Lang

I really enjoyed this book. Although there was no suspense or intrigue it was a very interesting read. I thought the author did well in describing the characters. I did think the feelings between the two main characters developed rather quickly but the outcome was beneficial to both of them. There was a lot of reference to the art of paper making and water marking which I found very interesting.

I have read several books by this author and have enjoyed them all. This book does not disappoint. I would recommend.

The Calico Spy by Margaret Brownley

I really liked this book. In fact I liked the whole series. This book had a wonderful story line that kept you guessing right up until the end. At times I thought the romance part of the story moved a little slow but the investigative part was a hoot. You can't keep a lady Pink down no matter how much it frustrates the local sheriff!

I have read several books by this author and she never disappoints. I love a book that makes me want to find reasons to read to find out what happens next and every one of this authors books do that. I highly recommend this book.

 I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Twice Blessed by Barbara Cameron

I enjoyed this book, which contained 2 novellas about twins and the problems of the heart that can arise between them. The sub title says this is an Amish Christmas story. I felt Christmas was a little overshadowed in both stories by the story line itself. I have to admit I liked the second story better than the first but only because it held my interest better. Both stories are good and very much worth the read if you are looking for a light Amish story.

Would I recommend this book? Yes I would. It is a great book for a cold, stormy night by the fire.
I was given a copy of this book by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Undercover Bride by Margaret Brownley

I really enjoyed this book. I had read the previous book, Petticoat Detective, and enjoyed it so I was looking forward to this one.It did not disappoint. With all the action in this book I kept turning pages to see what happened next until my eyes just wouldn't stay open any longer.

I love a book that keeps me guessing until the very end and this one did just that. Every time I thought I had it figured out I was wrong. Was there romance? Yes. If there was one flaw in the book that would be it. The hero in the book sent away for a mail order bride and after corresponding with her for 6 months he sends for her and immediately moves her into his house. That just seemed a little hasty to me but the story line that went with it was good.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! This is a stand alone book and not part of a series so you don't have to read Petticoat Detective first. They are both worth reading though!

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Made With Love by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore

What a book! Actually it was more like 3 books in one. There was a wonderful story told in rich Tricia Goyer style with a lot of Sherry Gore's Pinecraft home thrown in. I felt like I was actually in Pinecraft, FL because of all the descriptions of the area and the people. I was rooting for Lovina the whole way and loved the ending.

Along with the story came an Amish proverb at the beginning of each chapter and the recipes - oh my! I want to make them all. Like I said, this book is like 3 in 1. Well worth the purchase. I cannot wait to read the next one! These two gifted authors work so well together I hope they continue collaborating for a long time.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Potter's Lady by Judith Miller

I enjoyed this book. Having said that I found the book to be somewhat predictable. I like a book that challenges me as I read and throws curves along the way that I was not expecting. This book did not do that but it was a good story full of rich descriptions and a story line that was easy to follow.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It is an easy read with strong characters who bring the story to life.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund

I was not aware until I read other reviews of this book that it was a young adult book. It certainly did not matter! This book was just as engaging and suspenseful as one of her adult novels. Yes, the heroine in this book was a teen about to come of age but she, due to the death of her parents, was ruler of her land. And rule she did - when she was allowed. Due to a vow her parents had made she was destined to join a convent upon her 18th birthday. Having resigned herself to this Lady Rosemarie saw no other way until.....You will just have to read the book to find out what happens next!

Will it hold your interest? It certainly kept me turning pages long into the night. Suspense - oh my. At one point I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

I highly recommend this book for anyone - young adult or adult - who enjoys a good medieval story. I am interested to see what happens in book 2!

The Promise Of Palm Grove by Shelley Shepard Gray

I really enjoyed this book. It is the first book in a new series by this author and judging by this book it will be a great series!

When I first started reading and saw how fast Leona, a young engaged Amish woman, was drawn to Zack I thought uh oh things are moving too fast for an Amish book but they really weren't. Leona had doubts about her engagement and this vacation away gave her time to think about what she really wanted. Did meeting Zack complicate things? Maybe. It really was enjoyable to see how their quick attraction played itself out in this first book. I can't wait for the second book to see what happens next! There are so many possibilities in this series for good story lines that it makes the waiting very hard! I look forward to the next book.

Amish Promises by Leslie Gould

I really enjoyed this book. It grabbed my attention right from the beginning and didn't let go. At times I was frustrated with the characters because they just wouldn't bend but in the end everything seemed to work out.

There were several characters in this book between two families living side by side, one Amish and one English. Things really heat up when the children in both families become friends and the two fathers have issues of their own which prevent things from running smoothly. There is a lot of conflict, anger, animosity, fear going on but there is also a lot of forgiveness, love and new beginnings too. Some of those new beginnings come from the most unexpected places.

I really enjoy reading this authors books and this one is another winner for her. This is book 1 in the Neighbors of Lancaster County series. I cannot wait for the next one! I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Midwife's Tale by Delia Parr

It took me a while to get into this book. I like books with more dialogue than paragraph description but once I got used to the way the book was being written I was able to get into the story. It seemed the story jumped from one thing to another very quickly but in reality it didn't. There were several things going on at the same time all related to the main character Martha.

Martha is a very complex woman. Having survived losing her husband and now issues with her daughter make Martha really take a look at herself and everything she has done. Her career as a midwife is very important to her as she feels it is her legacy, having been handed down for generations. How she deals with her emotions and the discoveries she makes about herself make this a very interesting story. By the time I got to the last chapters of the book I was wanting more and was happy to discover this was book 1 in the At Home In Trinity series. I honestly cannot wait for book 2 as I am curious to see how so many things are resolved. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good first book in a series that will make you come back for more. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund

This book is another winner for Ms. Hedlund! From the first page the story took hold and never let go until the last page. I love this series. Not only is the subject of lighthouses interesting, the way the lighthouse becomes part of the story only makes the story better. I really enjoyed the characters in this book - well, except for a couple. But in the end the truth won out and so did the ways of the heart. I had my doubts. It looked like things were not going to go the way I thought they would but as the story weaved it's way to a conclusion everything worked itself out.

This is book 2 in the Beacons of Hope series but it stands on it's own just fine. I always know when I pick up a book by this author I am going to be finding excuses to read. I highly recommend this book.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Postcard by Laura V. Hilton

Let me start by saying I love this authors books but this one just didn't grab me. By that I mean it didn't make me want to find excuses to read to find out what happens next. David's attraction to Rachel, a young woman he has only corresponded with via pen pal letters, is a constant theme through the book as is her attraction to him. It took me a while to figure out where the title fit into the book. It seemed like other sub stories were quickly resolved without issue and the only drama in the book was Rachel's brothers dislike of David.

It was a good read but not one of my favorite books by this author. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist

Oh my goodness what a book! First thing that got me was the size of this book. It is thicker than most fiction books I have read lately and when I got to the end I wanted more!

I loved this story. From the first page the reader is drawn into the lives of the main characters Flossie and Reeve. From that moment on I couldn't stop turning pages! The author intersperses Flossie's personal life with that of her professional life as a Tiffany Girl, along with a lot of information about her job, which was very interesting. I could "see" what was happening as I read the story. It was so full of descriptive moments I felt like I was there.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book that will keep you turning pages well into the night. I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Governess Of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

I really enjoyed this book. There are many characters with their own stories but the author does a fine job of keeping them all separate so the reader is not jumping around and constantly confused. I loved the main and secondary story lines in this book. Sometimes the heart overrules social status and thus creates a conflict. The author does a wonderful job of bringing all this to the forefront and making the reader feel as though they are actually living in the house with both the upstairs family and the downstairs staff.

I would highly recommend this book. Although it came out over a year ago that was good for me because book 2, The Daughter Of Highland Hall, is out and book 3 will be released this fall. The anticipation mounts as book 2 deals with one of the daughters who has a big agenda and lots of anger.

When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer

This is book 2 in The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy series and let me tell you - the plot thickens - leading me to believe book 3 is going to be explosive! This is one of those series you should read in order but it's not necessary. Ms. Sawyer has a wonderful, gently way of writing that lets the Grace of God shine through in her words. Is there conflict - sure but it is done in such a way that it enriches the story instead of bringing negativity into it.

Alexa and Anna-Grace are forever united by a common bond that only one of them is aware of. Anna-Grace is gentle and a bit naive. Alexa is a bit hardened by knowing the truth. Both young women approach the truth, or what they think is the truth, in very different ways but at the same time they are very similar.

The truth will always win out in the end but it can be a very bumpy road as you will find out in this series. This is not a series to miss. I am really looking forward to the 3rd book in the trilogy! I received this book from Blogging For Books for this review.

After A Fashion by Jen Turano

Oh my goodness I loved this book! It has been a long time since a book entertained me this much! This is one book I will be reading again!

A lot of what I enjoyed in this book was the way Jen Turano phrased her conversations. Going back to a time when things between men, women and the social classes were distinctly divided, the conversations were at times stuffy but mostly entertaining while being proper. Miss Harriet Peabody is not a person who conforms easily and does not stand on protocol which makes for some interesting situations. I truly enjoyed all the characters in this book, even the not so nice ones.

There is a big surprise toward the end of the book that I did not see coming but thoroughly enjoyed, which leads me to ask - will there be a continuation of Harriet and Oliver's story? I certainly hope so! There is so much more to be learned about this couple!

I highly recommend this book. I was given a copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Amish Clockmaker by Mindy Starns Clark

I loved this book! The story line was wonderful and flowed beautifully. I am normally not a fan of books that jump from the present to the past and back again but in this book it enriched the story. Because the "jumping" was in sections and not chapters it made the story so much better.

I was so glad the author allowed us to meet and get to know Clayton. From the very beginning you sense a vulnerability in him and the reader doesn't even meet him until later in the book! I actually can say I enjoyed every character in this book and that doesn't happen very often!

I highly recommend this book. I was given an advance copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Like A Flower In Bloom by Siri Mitchell

Well, I have to say this is one of the most educational fiction books I have ever read. I know more about Botany and the correct names for plants and their parts than I ever wanted to know. And that became the problem for me with this book. The book is heavily laced with the main characters devotion to Botany and thus made it a little boring for this reader who frankly is not at all interested in Botany.

Overall, the story line kind of got lost in all the flower related jargon and way of thinking. When everything from proper etiquette to finding a husband is approached by comparing it to something you are familiar with, like a flower, then it becomes very difficult and frustrating. Charlotte does not want, nor does she think she needs a husband but her father and Uncle are bound and determined that she should stop doing what she considers her life's work and find a husband. It is a rocky road to matrimony for sure but is there a husband at the end of the road? Can Charlotte find a way to continue doing what she loves and have a happily ever after? Well, it will take you to almost the end of the book to find out.

I have read all of the books by this author and I have to say this book was not one of my favorites. It was apparent she did a lot of research for this book and while I appreciate her dedication to getting the facts right there were just too many references to the proper names to make this book interesting as a fiction book. It bordered on a textbook for me and at times I was completely lost. I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Petticoat Detective by Margaret Brownley

I loved this book! The story line and the plot twists kept me up into the wee hours of the morning reading! I didn't want to put this one down and I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

There were several characters in this book but none of them got in the way. At no time did I feel the heroine was being overrun buy the secondary characters. In fact, they added a lot of color to the story line. The story line of this book flowed nicely and the characters and situations were completely believable.

I loved how the situation resolved itself at the end of the book. It made me laugh out loud - at 2 AM - because I wasn't expecting the people who got involved to be involved. Way to go church ladies! The big surprise was the person they thought was the culprit turned out to be a respectable guy but you will never guess who the real culprit is!

I enjoyed this book from page 1 and I hope you will too. I highly recommend this book.

Steadfast Heart by Tracie Peterson

When I first started this book I got bogged down by all the characters in the book and was not sure until much later in the book whose story was supposed to be the focal point. The first thing that got me was the unusual names of some of the characters - Kolbein, Abrianna, Priam, etc. Not names you would normally see in a book so that was an interesting change.

As for the plot itself I really had a hard time finding out which characters were the main ones. I almost stopped reading about halfway through the book because I was so confused and the book was just not grabbing me. By the time I realized who the story was supposed to be about the book ended - rather abruptly. There are a lot of unanswered questions that I hope will be answered in the next book. There are a lot of story lines in this book so if you don't like a lot of characters and multiple story lines in a book you may find this book a little hard to get through.

I have read many of this authors books and I have to say this one was not one of my favorites. I hope the next book in the series weeds out some of the unnecessary characters and focuses on the main ones for that book.